Improvement in hydro-pneumatic motors



CHARLES L. STEVENS. Y Improvement in Hydropneuma'tic Motor. N0. 120,545.Patented Oct. 31,1871'. v

N UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

CHARLES L. STEVENS, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND L.B. FLANDERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDRO-PNEUMATIC MOTORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,545, dated October31, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs L. STEvENs, of Galesburg, county of Knox,State of Illinois, have invented a Hydro-Pneumatic Motor, of which thefollowing is a specification: y

My invention consists of a hydro-pneumatic motor, in which a turbine orother watenwheel is actuated by atmospheric pressure, through theintervention of liquid, in the peculiar manner fully describedhereafter.

Figure lis a longitudinal section of my hydropneumatic motor; Fig. 2, aplan view of the same 5 and Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line l2, Fig. 1.

A represents a water-vessel of any suitable size and shape, open at theside or top so as to afford free communication of the interior with theeX- ternal atmosphere, and kept constantly lled with water to about thelevel a; w, Fig. 1. Within and about the center of this vessel is acasing, B, communicating at the top with the interior of th e vesselthrough a branch, a, and at the bottom with two pipes, C and C', eachprovided with avalve, b or b', land forming connections between the saidcasing and two cylinders or chambers, D and D', arranged upon the top ofthe vessel A. The valves b b of the pipes C C are provided with rods oc, by which they may be opened and closed alternately, as hereafterdescribed, and the said pipes are also provided, at points close to thechambers D D', with flap-valves e e, opening outward, and through whichthe contents of the said chambers D D may be alternately dischargedintothe vessel A when the valves b are closed. The chambers D D are tobe made of wood, or of metal lined with wood or other non-conductingmaterial, in order to prevent the premature condensation within the saidvessels of steam admitted to the same alternately through a pipe, F,which is provided with valves g g, arranged to be operatedautomatically, as hereafter described. The casing B within thewater-vesselA communicates freely at all times with the latter' throughthe branch a, and is adapted for the reception of a turbine or othersubmerged wheel, G, which can b erotated by water under pressure causedto iiow through its passage. This wheel is hun g to a vertical shaft, H,which extends upward through the top of the casing and vessel A, andfrom'which the power obtained is transmitted. The valves b b of thewater-pipes G C and the valves g g of the steam-pipe are operatedautumatically, and in proper time in respect to each other, by curvedarms h h and z' fi', on two spindles, J and K, furnished withworm-wheels z z, which gear into and are turned by worms m m on theturbine-shaft H.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: It being supposed, in theiirst instance, that the chamber D is lilled or nearly lled with waterforced into the same by atmospheric pressure through the pipe G, thatthe chamber D is filled with steam admitted from the pipe F, and thatthe valve b is opened and the valve b closed, shortly before the chamberD is completely filled with water the steam in the chamber D is suddenlycondensed by a water-jet or otherwise, so as to produce a vacuum withinthe said chamber, and the valve b is then closed and the valve b opened.As soon as the valves have been thus adjusted water Will be forced, byatmospheric pressure, from the vessel A through the branch a into thecasing B; thence through the turbine wheel G, which, with its shaft,will be caused to rotate; and thence past the valve b and through thepipe C into the chamber D', in which a vacuum has been produced, asbefore described. The water will be thus forced into the chamber Dl byatmospheric pressure until the said chamber is nearly filled, theturbinewheel continuing to turn as the water flows through it toward thesaid chamber; and while this is occurring steam is admitted into thechamber D by opening the valve g of the steam-pipe, when the water will,partly owing to the steam-pressure and partly by its own gravity,immediately flow out ofthe said chamber and into the vessel A, thehap-valve e opening freely in order to permit the escape of this water.The operation having progressed thus far, the chamber D being filledwith water and the chamber l) with steam, the latter is suddenlycondensed so as to produce a vacuum within the chamber l), and the valveb is opened and the valve b closed. This having been accomplished, thewater will iiow through the turbine wheel and pipe C into the chamber Dto fill the vacuum there created, the water thus forced from the vesselA turning the wheel in the same manner and in the same direction as thatforced into the chamber D. \Vhile the chamber D is being lilled withwater the chamber D is emptied through the outlet-valve c and filledwith steam, which is condensed as before, so that as soon as the vesselD is sufieiently filled and the valves properly turned the Water may beimmediately forced, by atmospheric pressure, into the vessel Dl Withoutany pause or cessation in the motion of the turbine Wheel and its shaft,which are turned continuously by Water under pressure passing` into thechambers D and D alternately.

The apparatus might, if desired, be so modied as to permit the Waterescaping from the chainbers D and D to pass directly into the casing Babove the Wheel7 and thus aid to turn the latter. instead of escaping atonce into the Vessel A, as before described.

The apparatus may be properly termed a hydro-pneumatic motor, as7through the agency of Water, the pressure of the atmosphere is the forcewhich is exerted to turn the turbine Wheel.

I claim- A hydro-pneumatic motor7 in which Water is

